There are hundreds of dog breeds in the UK, but even more around the globe – so we’ve gathered together data from as many registries as we can to work out how many dog breeds there are in the world.
How many dog breeds are there in the world?
The global organisation Fédération Cynologique Internationale currently recognises 356 dog breeds, with each breed designated to the country where it first originated. The owner countries will set the breed standard in partnership with the FCI.
The FCI is just one part of a broader picture, however, as purebred registries such as The Kennel Club (UK), American Kennel Club (AKC) Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) and United Kennel Club (UKC) are not members of the FCI.
Dominique de Vito’s 2009 book World Atlas of Dog Breeds includes profiles of more than 420 dog breeds and varieties recognised by seven major international registries and organisations.
In addition to all the registered breeds, there are many unregistered ones – making it difficult to determine an exact number.
The American Kennel Club recognises around 200 breeds, while the Kennel Club (UK) recognises 224 pedigree dog breeds.
The Kennel Club organises its dog breeds into the following categories:
- Gundog
- Hound
- Pastoral
- Utility
- Toy
- Terrier
- Working
Now you've got a better idea of roughly how many dog breeds there are in the world, find out how many individual dogs there are in the UK (and the world).
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Top image credit: Getty Images